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' July 15, 1952 T. J. SEMMES PRODUCE GATHERING SACK I Filed Sept. 6',1949 INVENT OR 750010: J JEMMES ATTORNEY5 Patented July 15, 1952 UNI TEDS TAT .Efi PATEN T OFFICE 2,603,265 PRODUCE GATHERING SACK Thomas J.Semmes, Memphis, Tenn, Application'september 6, 1949, 'Serial N 0.114,125 fllaims. ((21,150-2) "This invention relates to produce carryingsacks and "has particular reference to means for securing such a sackduring handlingand weighing operations.

In the fruitpicliing trades, various ineans'have been devised foremploying sacks to carry the natural fruit and other produces once tornfrom the plant. 'Sacks hitherto employed have been made with a viewtoward stability of construc tion and consequent longevity. The industryhas created various tubular sackswhich may be carried by the fruitgatherers which are generally of oblong reinforced construction.Reinforced shoulder straps are added for carrying. A reinforcing of theseams and undercarriage of fruit sacks has been effected to the end thatthe subsurfaces of the sacks and wearing surfaces thereof may bepreserved against excessive and abusive handling. Further it has beenfound essen- 'tial to devise means for hanging the sacks during thehandlingand weighing operations once the sack has been filled withproduce.

To facilitate the handling, the trade in industry such'as the cottonpicking industry, has utilized a reinforced shoulder strap. Preparationfor-handling includes grasping a bite on the neck of the sack andwinding the shoulder or carrying strap'about. Pulling a-portion of theloop formed between loop and neck, a depending loop is pro-- vided forcarrying purposes duringthe weighing operation. Further, measurers havegrasped one corner of the bottom of the sack, securing the same bybending a Wire such as common bailing wire therearcund and through theloop formed by the carrying portion of the sack and depending the filledsack in a semi-folded form from scales extension through the engagementof the bailing wire and/ or the carrying strap. The employment of suchmethods naturally results in excessive wear to the corner used.Tearingoi corner portions occurs through the repeated application of thebailing wire to the cotton or hemp bag surfaces. This usage hastherefore resulted in impracticality due to necessary replacement ofcorners which have been torn or frayed to point of uselessness.

To the industry, this presents a problem of great concern since repairand replacement of sacks creates undesirable pecuniary expense andwastage of valuable man-hours of fruitful labor. With a View towardobviating the deficiencies mentioned, the present invention has beendirected, notwithstanding that the cotton picking industry has attemptedto overcome the deficiencies by suchadditions as applying ring means toeach corners for :the weighing and handling purposes. Ring meanshitherto known is timpractical of usage since the mode-of applicationgenerally employed will not withstand rough and abusive handling such asweighted sacks 'areac- 'custoined to receive.

In general, the invention embraces the folding of a corner of the bottomof the sack in such a manner that folds vertically and horizontally ofthe sack overlap in ceoperative relationship each withtheother to forma-reinforced base. The insertion of a grommet through the folds formed,securing the same against displacement, serves to provide 2. dependingor hangingelement suitable for insertion under the carrying element ofthe sack. The natural reinforcement provided by the arrangement of thefolds in-overlapping form together with clamping engagement of grommetassures that a maximum of wear to the folds and sack in general will beavailablanotwithstanding successive abusive handlings during operationsincidental to the preparation-oi fruit products.

With a view toward overcoming the abovementioned deficiencies, thefollowing objects of the present invention areoutstanding, other objectsbeing apparent from theensuing-description taken in connection with thedrawings.

It is an object-of this invention to provide a fruit carrying sac-l:with means for preventing excessive wear in the handling andweighingoperations when the sack has been filled with produce.

A further object-of this invention is to provide -a facile means forcreating a reinforced hanging element in fruit carrying sacks, thereinforcing element beingmadecf the walls of the sack itself.

Yet another object'of the invention is'to provide a fruit carrying sackhaving integrally formed therewith reinforced hanging 'means foroperation when the sack is filled with the produce economy .ofmanufacture and elimination of problems of repair being of foremostconsid' eration.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide means for securingfruit sacks during the hanging and handling operationswherein-reinlforced elements of the sack used in the hanging operationare formed from the surfaces of the sack, the'reinforcedreceiving seamof which has at least eight ply'thickness.

In the drawings:

Figure l. is :a viewin .side. elevation of :a innit carrying sackshowing the folded portions of the bag as seen when assembled;

Figure 2 is a view in perspective taken along the lines 22 of Figure 1,revealing the mode of folding the several portions of the bag at thecritical point;

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the invention in the handling orweighing operation, showing the method of usage to which the inventionis preferably adapted.

A fruit carrying sack H) of the general characteristics shown in Figure1 is employed in the manufacture of the present invention. The sack maybe constructed of any suitable material such as eight ounce duck canvas,as normally employed in the cotton picking industries. The sack I isconstructed of a single rectangular folded sheet having faces H and I2placed one upon the other and stitched inwardly of the edges thereof toform an envelope which it turned inside out has inverted seams of linealsmoothness. Seams which extend inwardly along the vertical edges of thesack are generally designated by the numeral [3. These seams do notcontinue along the bottom of the sack, for it is this portion which hasa natural fold. One of the faces, namely face [2, has an extensionportion protruding beyond the opening of the sack envelope, portions ofedges being folded toward the center to provide overlappingreinforcement to a shoulder strap I4. A reinforced portion of the faceI2 is shown at of Figure 1.

The sack being of normal envelope construction has two corners l6 and I!at one longitudinal extremity thereof. One corner I! has portions foldedin such a manner that a re inforced section is provide for the desiredfunction. Along the bottom seam of the sack, a portion thereof is foldedupon itself so that a reinforced seam of substantial width with relationto other seams in the bag is provided. The folding of the bottom portionof the bottom seam upon itself creates an overlap of four surface plies,each of the plies cooperating one with the other to provide reinforcedarea to the corner portion of the sack.

Along the vertical extension of the sack and toward corner I! a fold ismade substantially the same width as the fold I8 made in the bottomportion of the sack. This fold 20 is formed in the same manner as thefold l8 and tends to diminish the volume capacity of the sack at itsextremity commensurate with the fold overlap. At a point indicated bynumeral I9 of the Figures 1 and 2, the folds of the bottom and sideportions overlap to form a reinforced area having eight thicknesses orplies of surface material, each of the folds combining to form anaggregate reinforced section suitable for mounting the securing element.

Forpurposes of carrying and weighing the sack, there is inserted throughthe overlapping portions of folds l8 and 20 at point 19, a grommetelement 2|. Through one surface of the sack, an eyelet 22 is forced andsecured to a washer 23 placed on opposed surface of the overlap. Acomplete eyelet grommet element is thus attached which may be suitablefor bearing the weight of a sack filled with the fruit produce forpurposes of handling and weighing. Securing of the eyelet and washer oneto the other at the point indicated by numeral [9 will force theoverlapping portions of folds l8 and 20 each upon'the Jother' sov that.displacement in the periods of usage.

handling and weighing operations may be prevented. The invention is notto be construed and limited to the particular type of hook receivingmeans above described. Other types of reinforced receiving means may beused without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance,woven wire structure circular in form may be applied to the overlappingportions of the bottom segment of the bag to serve the purposementioned. Other innovations such as the employment of circular or ovalshaped leather or plastic attachments may be applied to the reinforcedportion of the bag in the manner described to accomplish therequirements mentioned.

In usage the bag is filled to capacity with a hand picked or machinepicked fruit or produce such as cotton. The picker in preparing hisindividual bag for weighing will drop the shoulder strap l4 over theopen mouth of the bag, grasping the bag just beneath the mouth anddrawing the folds thereof tightly together. The loop of strap 14 is thenpulled over the enclosed portion of the mouth and through itself toprovide a simple slip knot, thus leaving an open or free loop 26 whichis exposed. Loop 25 shown in Figure 3 is encircled about the open mouthof the bag or at its so-called neck 24. Once the filled bag has been soclosed at its orifice, the operator may grasp the corner 11 of the sackcontaining overlapping portions of the bottom and side seams, and insertthat corner including the receiving means beneath the exposed portion ofloop 26. A compact and composite bundle is now ready for hanging on thereceiving hook 21 of a conventional weighing scale. In this condition,the bag is further properly disposed toward facile moving by hook meansfrom one place to another.

To those skilled in the art, it is known that the shoulder strapemployed by cotton pickers is incapable of withstanding the abusivetreatment incidental to handling and weighing functions carried outafter the bag has been filled. For this reason, and due to the fact thata solid and compact bundle is desired, a procedure of operation similarto the above has been commonly accepted by the trade as more practicalthan would be the conveying and weighing of the bag by use of theshoulder strap. The present invention may eliminate habitual practice ofsecuring a corner of a cotton picking sack by bailing wire or rope meansfor insertion through the looped shoulder strap for weighing purposes.Not only does the innovation guarantee rapidity of the process, but itfurther insures that wear to the critical portions of the sack duringthe operations mentioned will be minimized.

Reference to the drawings and above description discloses that thereinforced section of overlapping portions of the bag has a thickness ofeight plies. This thickness serves to increase the longevity of the bagat the critical point which hitherto has been known to wear after shortTo the industry, this innovation should prove of utmost value, for theplantation owners may hereafter devote that portion of their energieswhich were directed to repair and replacement of cotton picking sackparts to the cotton picking and other functions of the industry, thusenabling an economy of production not hitherto conceived.

While particular reference has been made throughout the foregoingdescription to the cotton picking and related industries, it is to beemphasized that the present invention is not to be limited to thatspecific trade, but'rather the invention as described may be employed invari ous other produce carrying functions of other industries. Thespecific mode of construction of the critical portion of the sack is setforth merely by way of illustration of the concept. It is true that theinvention might be modified through the use of additional folds andvarying types of receiving elements without departing from the spirit ofthe invention, and therefore it is to be noted that the invention is notspecifically limited by the foregoing description, but rather is to beconsidered in the light of the broadest of the ap pended claims.

I claim:

1. A sack for produce comprising superposed layers of material closed attheir sides and one end, a fold in the side edge of said materialcommencing intermediate its ends and extending through said closed end,a second fold in said closed end commencing intermediate its sides andextendingthrough said folded side, and a grommet joining said side andbottom folds and forming a lifting hook receiving aperture in the sack.

2. A sack oi the type recited in claim 1 wherein said grommet ispositioned substantially adjacent and equi-distant from one side edgeand said bottom edge.

3. A sack of the type recited in claim 1 wherein said grommet is spacedinwardly from the side and bottom edges of the sack.

THOMAS J. SEMMES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

